In the Bahasa language of Indonesia, Giling Basah means "wet hulled." That's not very exciting by any measure, but it refers to a part of the coffee process that is specific to Indonesia and creates a signature flavor. Wet-hulled coffees can have more body and lower acidity, but they also fall short of the sweetness and aroma uncovered by other methods.

If you have any interest in coffees from Indonesia, and are looking for some reason why you like them (or perhaps why you don't like them), it's worth your time to learn about Giling Basah.

The results from the Guatemala coffee harvest this year will be a study in extremes; great coffees from some farms, and serious quality issues from others. While some areas seem to have good volume of coffee on the trees and nice quality, others zones are being devastated by a coffee fungus called Roya.

This has been a very challenging week for cupping. Why? I can't taste.

It all started on December 21st when we were flying to my sisters house in Tucson for Christmas. Ben turned to me on the airplane and sneezed directly into my gaping mouth. (I wonder if you can buy those full face shields the dentists use these days, for protection when your kid is sick. It's just a given he is going to sneeze directly on me at some point).

This is a really fascinating article, and one I have re-read several times. It is highly recommended, and underscores the rather ambiguous relation between the main arabica types (that is, how Bourbon and Typica lack genetic distinction). And it shows how little diversity there is overall among cultivated arabica types. -Tom

Brewing Fundamentals
Last Tiny Joy we covered Roasting Fundamentals, so this time I want to cover Brewing Fundamentals. I think it is a good idea to double check your brewing technique to make sure you are tasting all you can in the beans. These comments primarily address drip, vacuum or French press brewing, not espresso.